Columnist Jeff German: Infighting damages anti-terror campaign

Friday, May 28, 2004 | 3:47 a.m.

Jeff German's column appears Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays in the Sun. Reach him at german@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4067.

WEEKEND EDITION

May 29 - 30, 2004

Justice Department officials shook up the country last week when they warned that we face a potential al-Qaida attack this summer.

The news reminded us that the efforts to combat terrorism in Nevada are far from perfect.

Those efforts have been marred by infighting among local and state homeland security officials over how to divide up millions of dollars in federal anti-terrorism funds.

Jerry Bussell, the state's just-departed homeland security chief who pushed for more equitable funding for the Las Vegas area, can be considered a casualty of this infighting. He hastened his planned retirement when he started getting roughed up publicly.

"I said from Day 1, 'Let's put the money where the problem is -- Clark County,' " he explained, as the news from the terror front flowed in from Washington.

Bussell wouldn't talk about the obstacles he encountered over the past 18 months trying to persuade local authorities outside Southern Nevada to understand that the majority of the federal money is needed here.

But he said he was pleased that he was able to get the state's funding formula changed to give Clark County, home of Hoover Damn and the Las Vegas Strip, a bigger share.

Before Bussell arrived on the scene, the state was splitting the federal money 50-50 with Clark County and the other smaller-populated counties.

Bussell, with the help of Sheriff Bill Young, managed to get Clark County, which has 70 percent of the state's population, 70 percent of the money.

But even that's not a big enough share given the fact that Las Vegas, which boasts of having 12 of the 13 largest hotels in the world, now seems to be on al-Qaida's radar screen.

Gov. Kenny Guinn said last week that Las Vegas probably should get used to coming up in al-Qaida chatter monitored by intelligence sources.

"We're a high-profile city that's known worldwide," Guinn said, adding he now believes Las Vegas should be considered with the likes of New York, Washington and Los Angeles as cities facing the biggest threats of terrorism.

That's an indication that the governor will be seeking more federal money to combat terrorism here in the coming months.

But it also should signal an end to the bickering among state and local officials over those funds.

Young, who praised Bussell's work as homeland security director, said last week that he was appalled that officials from other parts of the state are continuing to undercut Las Vegas.

"There's all this discontent and maneuvering going on," Young said. "People from outside Clark County want more than their equitable share, and they better get over it. The threat is down here."

Young said he would like to see the state hire an independent firm to do a statewide threat assessment to put on the record once and for all that Las Vegas, by far, has the biggest concerns.

If an assessment is ever done, Young said, he's confident that Las Vegas and Clark County will end up getting 90 percent of the anti-terrorism funds distributed by the state.

Bussell said he doesn't need a threat assessment to come to that conclusion. He said Las Vegas should be getting 90 percent of the funding now.

"If you take that money and send it anywhere else, you aren't really putting the money where it belongs," he said.

But Bussell no longer is in a position to fight for more money for Las Vegas.

That puts the onus on Guinn to find someone to carry on the fight during a time of great urgency.

The governor said he intends to fill Bussell's shoes with a Southern Nevadan, which is a good start.

But until Guinn makes it clear to everyone on the front lines around the state that Las Vegas is the No. 1 priority, there will be holes in Nevada's defense against terrorism.

With al-Qaida poised to strike again this summer, that's not a comforting thought.